Improvement in harvesters



, 2.Shee.ts-Sheet1.

J. H. ELAB D.

Harvesvers. No.l52,622. Patentedmne 30,1874.

' show thel construction.

UNITE-n yS'rmns .PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. ELWARD, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.1 52,622, dated June 30,1874; application filed March 10, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AJol-Luv H. ELWARD, ofSt. Paul, county of Ramsey, State of Minnesota, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Harvesting Machines, of which thefollowing is a ful1,clear, and'exact description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, making part of this speci-l fication, inwhich- Figure l is a plan view of my improved harvester, broken away inpart to more fully Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section online y y,Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the binders carriage,show ing themanner in which it is connected with the machine or mainframe. Fig. 4represents an outer or stubble side elevation, with the binders carriageremoved and the elevator shown in broken section on line z z, Fig.2; andFig. 5 represents a vertical transverse section through the outer orgrain side of the platform and platform-apron.

Similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts wherever used.

i The invention consists, iirst, in a novel combination ofstripper-belts with the platform and elevator aprons; second, in a novelconstruction of the elevator, whereby the elevatorapron can be made tomove in either direction, and isl adapted to elevate the grain by eitherits upper or lower face acting thereon, as the circumstances under whichthe grain is harvested may suggest or require, and as hereinafterexplained 5 and, lastly, the invent-ion consists in certain detailsofconstruction and arrangements of parts, all as hereinafterfully setforth.

- In the accompanying drawings, A represents the main drive-wheel; A',the outer platformcarrying wheel; B B1 B2, the main frame; CO1, theelevator-frame; D Dl the platform -and elevator aprons, all of usual'orany preferred construction. The bottom of the platform-frame, underneaththe apron D, is tightly closed by a wood or sheet-metal bottom, d,

and this bottom, in connection with the closed end at di, forms areceptacle for such grain as may be shattered or thrashedout in cuttingand conveying the same to the inner end of the platform. At the outerend of the apron D (see Fig. 5) is placed a concave, d2, conforming incurvature,.or nearly so, to the sweep of the teeth on the slats of apronD, and extending from the horizontal plane of the bottom board, d, tothe vertical plane of the end or divider board, d1, as shown, forenabling the teeth of the apron D to piek up and return any grain orstraw that may fall between the divider-board and end of the apron, orotherwise get under said apron. With this construction tlie usualinclined overhanging dividershield may be dispensed with, if desired.The elevator-bottom C? is slotted, as shown at c in Figs. 1 and 4, topermit the ends of the teeth on the elevator-slats to pass below itsupper surface, on which the grain rests, and up which it is carried, insuch manner as to avoid the objectionable frictioual contact of theteeth with such upper surface usual to the close bottom of elevators ofthis class as heretofore constructed, while at the same time it insuresthe regular and even elevation and delivery of the grain. A box orreceptacle, E, extending from front to rear of the elevator, is pivotedunderneath the elevatorframe, in the transverse front and rear bars, B,of the frame, and serves to receive and retain such shattered or shelledgrain as may escape through the slots c in the elevatorbottom. Theplatform may be provided, if desired, with a series of rods or wires, b,arranged over the apron D, connected at their outer ends with the end ordivider board d1, and at their inner ends with the elevator-bottom C2,near its lower end, as shown in Figs. l and 2, said rods or wiresforming a stationary platform, on which the grain falls as it is cut,and between which the rake-teeth ofthe apron D project for removing thegrain; or the rods b may be dispensedwith, and in lieu thereof a seriesof curved lingers, bf, attached to the elevator-bottoni C2, at or nearits lower end, or to other convenient support, and extending outwardinto suitable position totake the grain from the teeth of the slats ofthe apron D, as shown, the rods b or b', whichever may be employed,serving to strip the grain from the rake-teeth of apron D. At the innerend of the platform-apron, andA in close proximity to the innerapron-roller, is arranged :a horizontal shaft, upon which is placed aseries of fast pulleys, F, and upon the opposite side of or underneaththe elevator-bottom G2 is arranged another shaft, similarly providedwith fast pulleys F1, upon which are placed a number of stripper bandsor belts, F2, which pass through slots in the elevator-bottom, and arearmed upon their outer faces with teeth j", which, when the belts arerotated in the same direction with the apron D, pass in close proximityto the inner end of said apron, or to the slats and teeth thereon, andserve to take the grain from the platform-apron and to convey it inwardwithin reach of the elevator.

A similar arrangement of stripper-belts is made at the upper end of theelevator, to take the grain from said elevator and convey it to thedesired point of discharge, Gr G' indicating the rollers or pulleys, andg the stripper-belts, the shafts of which are mounted in bearings in aframe, H, which has a horizontal pivotal connection, orI h h, with thetop ofthe elevatorframe, for permitting the stripper-belts to be set oradjusted to any desired angle of relation to the elevator-apron, and tovary the elevation at which the grain is discharged from thestripper-belts. The stripper-belts are made to move in the samedirection with the aprons from which they take the grain, being operatedby belts and pulleys, as shown in Fig. l,

n or any other suitable or preferred arrangement of mechanism'for thepurpose; and when the grain is carried up by` the elevator-apron actin gunderneath, tkmipper-belts also act underneath, as indicated by thearrows in. Fig. 2, and the grain is carried across a flooring, h', ofthe-pivoted stripper-frame H to the desired point of discharge; butwhere, from any cause, such as a damp or sticky condition of the grain,it may be found desirable to carry the grain upward on the face of themoving apron D' itself, by simply crossing the belt which drives saidapron, the direction of movement of both the elevator-apron and itsstrippin g-belts g will be reversed, causing` the grain to be carriedupon their upper faces from the stripper-belts f to the point ofdischarge. Under this arrangement the grain is held down upon the upperinclined face of apron D' by yielding spring-rods i, secured at theirlower ends to a cylindrical rod, I, which is suspended by springs j fromthe seat-plank J which overhangs the apron D', being supported uponprojecting bars J' in front and rear of said apron. rlhe upper ends ofthe rods z' are left free and overhang the upper end of theelevator-apron, as shown, said yielding rods serving to gently hold thegrain to the face of the apron with out materially resisting itsprogress until it is delivered to the stripper-belts. The supporting-rodI, which forms, as it were, a mouth-piece for straightening the grainand admitting it to the elevator by its cylindrical form, facilitatesthe admission of the grain, and offers the least kpossible resistance toits passage. The reel-shaft K, atits inner end, is mounted in ahorizontal longitudinal bar, K', which is adjustably connected with theuprights C of the elevator-frame, a series'of holes, k k, and thefastening bolts or screws k1 permitting the vertical adjustment of thebar K' and reel-shaft K, and a series of notches or bearings, k2, or anadjustable sliding box, permitting the horizontal or backward andforward adjustment for adapting the reel to the condition of the grain.f

A similar construction may be employed for adjusting the outer end ofthe reelshaft. Guide-pulleys Z Z for guiding the reel-belt are mountedin a bell-crank arm, L, pivoted at its lower end to an upright or post,O, of the elevator-frame. The upper horizontal arm is provided with acurved slot, and connected with the post by a bolt or set-screw, whichpermits its adjustment forward or backward on the lower pivoted end forregulating the tension of the reel-belt. M, Figs. 1, 2, and 3,represents a binders carriage, consisting of a rectangular frame, of anysuitable construction, mounted upon wheels N, with its inner side, M,parallel with the outer or stubble side of the main frame, and connectedtherewith by links O 0, pivoted at one end to the binders carriage, andat the other to the main frame, one in front and the other in rear, asshown in Fig. 3, by horizontal pivots at right angles to each other, toaccommodate the independent movements of the binders7 carriage, while atthe same time always holding said carriage in proper relation to themachine to receive the grain as it is discharged from the elevator. Adragbar, P, pivoted at its forward end to the main frame, and at itsrear end to the binders carriage, serves to draw the carriage as themachine is drawn forward. rlhe carriage has an upright frame supportingthe bars Q, which form a seat or lateral support for the bindersstanding on the platform or flooring of the carriage M. Q'

Q are longitudinal bars, connected by a series of transverse rods orwires, q, upon which the grain is caught as it is discllarged from theelevator. The frame of the binders carriage may be closed, either inwhole or in part, as at m m, upon its sides, to form a receptacle forshattered grain. tends upward the height of the frame, forming' a fenderor shield against the Working parts ofthe machine, and a loose sheet orcanvas, R, connected with the upper end of this shield M, and with theouter swinging end of the elevator, serves to prevent any grain fromescaping in its passage from one to the other. Sufficient slack isprovided in this apron R to permit the free movement of the binders carriage relative to the apron, and also the adjustment of the pivotalframe H as desired.

Parts of the machine not particularly described may be made in any usualor preferred manner.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent, is-

1. The stripper-belts F2, in combination with the platform-apron D andelevator D', sub stantially as described.

The inner side board M' eX- 2. AThe reversible elevator-apron D', ineom- 4. The pivoted grain-receptacle E, in combination with theelevator-bottom C2 and V.the bination with the slotted Ielevator-loottomG2, yielding 'retaining-rods i, for adapting said as described.

apron to elevate the grain upon either its up- In testimony whereofIhavehereunto set lny per or lower face, as described. hand this 9th dayof January, A. D. 1874.

3. The reversible auxiliary stripping-belts g, p working on rollers`mounted in a frame, H, J OHhT H. RLY/VARI). pivotedto the upper end ofthe elevator-frame, in combination With-the reversible elevator-Witnesses: Y apron, arranged and operating substantially H. N. FARNHAM,Jr.,

as and for the purpose speeified. JOHN KERWIN.

